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Writer's pictureJosh Levine

Trash or Treasure? 10 More Things to Know

Updated: Mar 26, 2021


Sharing is caring and I really do care. I care you might throw away money. I care you might not know the value of something you have, and someone can take advantage of that. Or last, I care that you might just need to make a little extra money to make ends meet and this is how I can help you.


I believe by sharing these posts with realized prices and hopefully opening your eyes to what’s going on in the secondary market, you won’t make the mistake many have or, might share what you learn with a loved one to pay it forward. So here goes, and let me know what you think when you are done.


Here are 10 more goodies and/or genres you may or may not know that can be of significant value. There are no “retirement money” things here on today’s list. But, there are several car payments or rent payment things. Enjoy.


Concert Posters


Nostalgia is The King of Collectibles and what brings back better, or let us just say more vivid, memories than a great concert. People with disposable income love to pony up for some good nostalgia. Original Concert Posters regularly sell for $100 to $1000 depending on rarity and desirability but a few have really rocked…

This Jimi Hendrix Experience Poster from 1968 brought $12,000.


Board Games


I don’t think a young printer named Milton Bradley in 1860 had a clue that 160 years later his name would be one of the most recognizable in America. Well, it is and it’s because his 1000 plus board game title empire has touched each of our lives in one way or another. Battleship, Chutes and Ladders, Candyland, all those pop-culture character inspired games, MOUSETRAP! and on, and on…


And yes, with this kind of nostalgia, there is always a fond demand to relive our past. You can tell when you walk down any toy aisle at Target or Walmart these days. Most of these games are still made today. They have survived generations for a reason. So therefore, you have the collectors that want the originals and think of this like books. The first edition or special limited editions are typically the key.

A 1969 Game Based on the Hit TV Show of the Time Dark Shadows brought $1300 a few months back!


Lunch Time


Are you seeing a pattern with today’s list? If you or your neighbor, had this as a kid, it’s probably worth a few bucks. It’s not true with everything. Every house had a Vicks VapoRub Machine too, but you get me. Lunchboxes hit their pinnacle in the late 1990s / early 2000s for nostalgia pricing, but they are still one of biggest hits in the collectible world. I really think all the reproductions hurt them for a while, but they are back. Collectors and you yourself probably would love to have your old trusty lunch box.

This Harlem Globetrotters Lunch Box and Thermos just brought $1900.


Scarf it up.


Many already know that vintage fashion and accessories, such as footwear, costume jewelry, handbags, and belts, can fetch thousands, and even more with the right name. Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Hermes to name a few. But did you know to be on the lookout for those elusive silk scarf creatures. Oh yes, that gift that ended up in the box, lost in a drawer or the attic, could be a few hundred you did not know you had.

This Hermes Leather Belt & Scarf found in an estate drawer brought $800 at Auction.


Not your Momma’s Doll


Okay, maybe your momma. I just mean this not what we in the business would call an antique or vintage doll. But the 1986 American Girl Doll names Samantha can be worth quite a bit of money, as that generation, my wife’s, becomes nostalgic and what’s that doll she had. And yes, I know that 1986 is now “vintage” to a lot of you out there but Madonna and I say NO! Anyway, back to Samantha, and not Bewitched Samantha or Sex in the City Samantha but American Girl Doll Samantha. If you still have your 1986 with her original clothes, accessories and box, you might really have some cash there.

Here’s an example that just sold for $500.



Hold the Door!


Again, when you see a million reproductions of something, you know people will pay well for the real thing. And this true for Cast Iron Door Stops. Just like I told you in my Dirty 30 Post about cast Iron Banks, the same holds true, those late 19th and early 20th century examples can shock you. The king really being those from the Hubley Manufacturing Company of Lancaster PA. Founded in 1894 and originally a toy company, their popular line of figural doorstops have survived for well over 100 years.

How about $12,000 for a 13” Giraffe?


Cereal Boxes


As many of you know by now, someone collects everything. And even more strange to me, someone who keeps everything. Why else would someone have an old box of unopened and uneaten cereal laying around for it to have become collectible in the first place. Stew on that chicken or the egg for a while.

How about some delicious 1962 Corn Flakes for $576


First Edition Books are Still Cookin’


I often speak of this genre and try to keep you pickers looking at vintage books. I know they can be a cruel mistress. Lugging around heavy boxes of books, you bought at an estate sale only to find out they have little to no value but when you find a good one, it’s like what an old gold prospector in Dewey Humboldt Arizona once told me. “Kid, it just hooks you. That first score keeps you comin’ back for more.”

And speaking of cooking, find a 1st Edition Julia Child's 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' from 1961 and you will be eating good that night. This book in good condition with the original jacket is quite desirable to the serious collectors. Typically bringing an easy $300-$500 online.

Autographed 1st Editions are $1000 plus.


Midcentury Barware


This has now been a been back in vogue for the past few years. I see no signs of it slowing down either as designers and decorators love it. Crazy Retro Cocktails are all the rage. Hey, just like the roaring 20s. That is a little freaky but I digress.


The barware you are looking for is the “Madman,” Post WWII, style. The at-home entertaining, cocktail party patterns, with funky graphics and color are the best. Makers like Libbey, Federal Glass, Hazel-Atlas, and Culver, just to name a few, seem to be the most popular.

This Deco Martinsville Set just brought $670 on eBay…get the idea.

That was probably someone’s $20 thrift store find.


Quilts


Yes, it seems they might be making a comeback. Back to basics of the 20s and 30s, with 2 color pieces designs are turning up in the design centers. These of course are modern reproductions, a telltale sign of the desire by many, for the real deal. In fact, this is always a good gage for what to look for in the secondhand market. You know, whatever they are reproducing.

Two-Color Pieces Quilts, such as this, are typically $200-$400 these days. This one did $2500!


If you enjoyed that list, please share. And if you would like to learn more, subscribe to my blog or YouTube channel as I am always updating my readers and “watchers” to trends in the secondary market.


Until next post!


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